Chester Zoo devastated after 'unexpected' death of young elephant in double tragedy

Staff at Chester Zoo are devastated after the ‘sudden’ death of a female elephant called Riva Hi Way, a month after her mum Sundara also died. In a statement posted on its website today, the zoo said a problem was spotted last Wednesday when Riva, a four year-old Asian elephant, was having a routine blood test.

The zoo said that, despite the best efforts of staff, she died while further tests were taking place. In a statement they said: “It is with deep sadness that we share news of the sudden and unexpected loss of a female Asian elephant, Riva.

“As with all other members of the herd here, Riva received around-the-clock care and attention from our 15-strong team of dedicated elephant and veterinary experts. As part of this continuous provision of care, anomalies were detected in her routine blood test on Wednesday 21 August 2024 which gave us cause for concern.

“It was imperative to investigate this quickly and thoroughly but, heartbreakingly, while undergoing a further routine diagnostic procedure, Riva died under general anaesthetic. Our teams did everything they could to try to revive her but, tragically, nothing could be done.

“We’re now awaiting results from a series of tests which we hope will tell us more about the exact cause. We’re desperate to find the answers but it may take some time before we have full clarity on what happened due to the number of ongoing tests and the specialist nature of them."

Jamie Chirston, CEO of Chester Zoo, said: “It really is difficult to find the words – we’re so utterly heartbroken to have lost Riva. She was an incredibly special elephant who was much-loved by so many. She’ll be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to our wonderful elephant and vet teams who cared for Riva day in, day out.

“Her loss is ever so tough to take and is not only felt deeply here but across our conservation community given what a huge blow this is to the conservation of endangered Asian elephants. We are devastated by this news.”

Many reacted with sadness to the news. One person said: “Terrible news, my thoughts are with the keepers after another devastating loss.” Another added: “Very sad news for the zoo, keepers and most importantly the elephant herd.” A third said: “Wow, terrible news to hear regarding Riva.”

Asian elephants are listed as Endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN’s) Red List of Threatened Species. They are highly threatened by poaching, habitat loss, conflict with humans and disease. Chester Zoo has a long history of Asian elephant conservation.

Last month, Riva's mum Sundara, died after falling ill. As reported by CheshireLive, an examined after her death revealed she had twisted intestines. This complication can occur in a range of mammals, for example it is sometimes seen in horses. It can onset very quickly and is almost impossible to diagnose or treat in elephants.

Mr Christon said at the time: “We are all so deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic turn of events. Our thoughts are, of course, with our wonderful elephant conservationists who have cared for Sundara since she was born here in 2004.

"In that time, she had given birth to a number of calves including female elephants Indali and Riva, who are at the zoo today, and played a vital role in the conservation breeding programme for this endangered species."

The news comes after the death of Boris, a western chimpanzee, last month who was a resident of the zoo. Boris had been part of Chester Zoo for over 50 years. He died after showing signs of age-related conditions.